eness; instead of a collar sticking up to his ears,
an ordinary light blue necktie. Mother and my uncle were walking in
the avenue talking together. I went softly up to them from behind, and
waited for one of them to look round.

"What a delightful place you have here, Klavdia!" said my uncle. "How
charming and lovely it is! Had I known before that you had such a
charming place, nothing would have induced me to go abroad all these
years."

My uncle stooped down rapidly and sniffed at a tulip. Everything he saw
moved him to rapture and excitement, as though he had never been in a
garden on a sunny day before. The queer man moved about as though he
were on springs, and chattered incessantly, without allowing mother to
utter a single word. All of a sudden Pobyedimsky came into sight from
behind an elder-tree at the turn of the avenue. His appearance was so
unexpected that my uncle positively started and stepped back a pace.
On this occasion my tutor was attired in his best Inverness cape with
sleeves, in which, especially back-view, he looked remarkably like a
windmill. He had a solemn and majestic air. Pressing his hat to his
bosom in Spanish style, he took a step towards my uncle and made a bow
such as a marquis makes in a melodrama, bending forward, a little to one
side.

"I have the honour to present myself to your high excellency," he said
aloud: "the teacher and instructor of your nephew, formerly a pupil of
the veterinary institute, and a nobleman by birth, Pobyedimsky!"

This politeness on the part of my tutor pleased my mother very much. She
gave a smile, and waited in thrilled suspense to hear what clever thing
he would say next; but my tutor, expecting his dignified address to be
answered with equal dignity--that is, that my uncle would say "H'm!"
like a general and hold out two fingers--was greatly confused and
abashed when the latter laughed genially and shook hands with him. He
muttered something incoherent, cleared his throat, and walked away.

"Come! isn't that charming?" laughed my uncle. "Just look! he has made
his little flourish and thinks he's a very clever fellow! I do like
that--upon my soul I do! What youthful aplomb, what life in that foolish
flourish! And what boy is this?" he asked, suddenly turning and looking
at me.

"That is my Andryushenka," my mother introduced me, flushing crimson.
"My consolation..."

I made a scrape with my foot on the sand and dropped a low bow.

"A fine fellow